


Discipline

by orphan_account



Category: The Office (UK)
Genre: A little bdsm?, Bottom Gareth, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Top Tim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-16
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-05-07 15:14:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14673759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Tim and Gareth have a difference of opinion on a certain point.





	1. Chapter 1

 

 

"You know what happens now Gareth."

"T-Tim, I was just -"

There really isn't an excuse that can justify Gareth's thoughtless callousness, and Gareth seems to know it when he falls silent.

It's Gareth's personality is what it is.

He's got something about him that pushes the boundaries - even when he knows it's wrong. Like now, when he's said something quite improper and cringe-inducing to one of the new employees.

Tim, of course, is just being a good boyfriend.

It's not like he takes any pleasure in punishing Gareth - except of course, for when he does.

"I'd say that's about a tenner." Tim says grimly. "See you tonight."

Gareth whimpers dully and holes himself in his office for the rest of the day.

 

 

When they get home Gareth grimaces just inside the door, they've been silent on the way but suddenly he speaks up.

"It was just a mistake." He says a little desperately.

"It was rude and it hurt someone's feelings."

Gareth reddens at that and casts his gaze down in shame.

"Since when have you cared about other people feelings." Gareth mutters impudently - meaning to be heard and yet not.

"That's fifteen." Tim says, without a hint of humor. "Keep talking Gareth."

Gareth hunches his shoulders and fidgets.

And this thing - is something they've both agreed to.

 

 

Tim still cringes at the way that conversation went :

"I'm not agreeing to that!"

"Well, fine. That's it then."

It'd been only one kiss between them then - two if you counted charity. Tim had even turned to walk away, only for Gareth to tug at his elbow and try and draw him back.

"W-well, maybe, but only if you're reasonable."

"I think you're mistaking which one of us is the reasonable one here Gareth. But I need you to tell me that you need it."

"I'm not doing _that_." Gareth had hissed, but relented only seconds after when Tim began to pull away, " _Fine_! I- sometimes I - sometimes I'm not very - and it might help...if someone were to help me with that. Correct me. I know I can be..."

Tim still remembers how the tight, tense voice had loosened the moment he put his hand on Gareth's shoulder. The way he relaxed into it.

"Don't worry Gareth, I'll take good care of you." He'd said, part mocking and part sincere.

Tim had adored the way Gareth swallowed thickly.

 

 

But - back to the fifteen strokes.

 

 

When they both have their shoes off Tim sits on the edge of the couch.

"Here?" Gareth asks, uncertain.

Usually they do it on the bed. Usually, it's a little teasing. A little sexy, Tim would even say. It's not one of those times.

"Yes." Tim says definitively.

Gareth reluctantly pulls at his belt and fiddles needlessly with the button of his trousers.

Eventually there's only so much he can do before he takes his place, bare bottomed, across Tim's lap.

"Tim, it was just a - !" Gareth yelps at the first smack.

And usually Tim makes him count, when he's expecting there to be a kind of anticipation to it. Instead, Tim rains down smacks - measured and solid by his own count.

Exactly fifteen.

And Gareth always cries, even when it's mostly playful, so his bright eyes do nothing when Tim allows him to stand. He pulls his trousers up immediately and his lower lip wobbles.

Tim opens his arms, as he always does after discipline, and is astounded when Gareth edges back - something like disdain crossing his face.

"I didn't deserve this." Gareth defends, chin hitching up in defiance.

"Yes, Gareth, you did." Tim responds tiredly.

"No I didn't and you wouldn't listen -"

"I listened!" Tim scoffs at the accusation, a little surprised at the turn of events.

Gareth has never talked back afterwards before. Always, he enters the circle of Tim's arms afterwards and thrives there, lapping up the comfort and pets Tim doles out.

"No, you were going to give me more. You could have let me explain - "

"-and what could you have possibly said to explain _that_?" Tim barks, and it's not good. They're approaching old territory.

He thinks they're having their first _real_ fight.

But then Gareth swallows, ashamed again.

"That's what I thought." Tim says.

"You always think you're right. How come when I'm wrong you get to punish me and when you're wrong nothing happens?" Gareth eventually comes back with.

"Well, that's because I'm never wrong Gareth."

Gareth looks unhappy at that and fidgets. He turns away without another word and stomps over to the kitchen. It takes him about twenty minutes of storming the apartment, cleaning of all things, before he gets his anger under control.

When he does finally get himself under control his shoulders slump and he slinks over to where Tim is decidedly ignoring him, working on a project on his computer.

He ignores him at first, when Gareth tries to get his attention by just standing by the desk.

But Gareth stays, waits and waits and eventually Tim takes pity and turns to him.

"Finished?" he asks.

"Yes." Gareth responds, and he looks embarrassed of himself.

He looks at Tim questioningly, a little desperate, and Tim is weak for it. He sighs heavily and shuts his computer.

Says, "come on." and leads Gareth over to the couch so they can cuddle.

 

 

It doesn't come up again, really.

 

 

In fact Tim doesn't even realize he's done something wrong until much much later. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy!

 

 

 

It's at the annual Christmas party.

And of course - Tim knows he isn't Gareth's _first_.

Still, he thinks he's first in all the ways that matter. There is, of course, Joann.

Joann, who by all rights shouldn't be threatening, certainly to Tim's masculinity and sense of adequacy - but somehow is.

Joann, who is by all rights a very _rubenesque_ , woman.

Who calls Gareth _Monkey_.

Who is still Gareth's friend, after all this time.

 

 

 

Tim privately admits, his firsts words to Gareth regarding Joann hadn't exactly been nice.

He'd teased him endlessly about being a chubby chaser. More than that he'd shamed him.

Gareth had been embarrassed.

 

 

 

"Joann." Tim greets. "I see Gareth has invited you to the annual employee's Christmas party."

It's a dig. The year before she'd shown up uninvited. Back when Gareth had been eager to keep her a secret from work, from Tim.

Joann calls him on it immediately.

"Well it is nice to get an actual invitation. And for your information he brought me in public, he wasn't ashamed of me. He might not have brought me _here_ and now that I know why I can't say I blame him."

Tim colors, a little, at being so caught out. He isn't used to it. He should just take the lick, but he blames jealousy for what he says next.

"Well, you deserve better anyway Joann. Gareth is a prat, obviously, and he'd been the first one to call you fat."

And of course Gareth happens to be standing right behind him. Joann raises an eyebrow and Tim spins around just to catch the back of Gareth retreating.

"Well, first he'd tried to call me _rubanesque_ but I wasn't having any of that. Fat is just a description and I told him I wouldn't have him trying to disguise it with flowery words. Not around me." And because she's _Joann_ she adds, "Are you sure Gareth isn't the one that doesn't deserve better?"

 

 

 

Tim, surprisingly, feels...shitty. Guilty.

It's an unfamiliar, and uncomfortable, feeling.

In retrospect, Gareth's complete lack of social grace - even without Joann's added spin - explains the faux pas of calling one of the new employees _fat_. Tim, of course, had jumped to the conclusion that Gareth was being malicious.

Because he'd always assumed the worst of him. Assumed that Gareth always meant to be as ignorant and as backwards as he appeared.

And he should know better at this point. There were multiple instances in which he'd _corrected_ Gareth and Gareth had been receptive.

Just as Joann had corrected him, and he'd been receptive. Because Gareth was malleable. 

And Tim had called him a prat.

It was worse than if he'd called him it to his face. Because this wasn't a spat - it was behind his back. Had the appearance of a conviction.

For once, Tim admitted he was in the wrong.

 

 

 

He found Gareth easily enough. He was by the punch table.

He shifted around in an awkward way, which wasn't unusual.

He even smiled when he saw Tim, drinking from his cup coyly like he usually did when he got a bit tipsy and planned on asking for it.

It was a little befuddling, and it didn't stop arousal from coursing through Tim's blood. He didn't act on it though.

He stood, a little cowed, waiting for Gareth to react in righteous anger.

He didn't though.

For all intents and purposes he acted like nothing was out of the ordinary.

"Take me home." Gareth said, careful not to touch Tim untowardly.

Because Tim didn't let him do that at work. It wasn't that people didn't know, or Tim thought they'd ought to have known, but that Tim didn't allow any public affection at all.

The only hint that they were together was Gareth's dogged insistence to please him. To take his word as a no holds barred command.

"Yes." Tim said, floundering a little.

Parties were usually his thing but he couldn't seem to enjoy it now that he'd - and what had he done? Hurt Gareth's feelings? Put them at odds?

It occurred to Tim that despite considering them mismatched and himself superior, there was no one he'd rather be with. He'd been living in domestic bliss - kinks indulged and all - for months with no acknowledgement of the fact.

This had to be the first time he'd regretted not sparing Gareth's feelings.

They left together in a cab, Gareth getting touchy on the ride home but they didn't speak. Gareth glaring balefully at the cab driver as if he was the one holding things back.

 

 

 

When they got in the door, Gareth felt more comfortable at expressing himself.

He got close, hands fumbling at a button on Tim's coat.

"So, um, would you...?" Gareth began, like he always did in these situations, "I want to...if you'd like."

Tim though, was still at a loss.

"Prat." He said solemnly, "I called you a prat."

"Well that doesn't - " Gareth hiccuped, "That isn't conducive  to the ...atmosphere."

And then he began to toy with Tim's collar.

"You don't care that I called you a prat?" Tim asked, huffing a little in false laughter, unbelieving.

It was maybe the one time when Gareth had good reason to be mad with him and wasn't.

"W-why?" Gareth asked, and began to extricate himself, "are you still mad at me? Am I too much of a prat to - "

Gareth cut himself off, and then immediately began again.

"I could do that thing you like."

"I think we agreed that was a bad idea." Tim said quietly, remembering how Gareth had ended up getting sick all over his lap.

It was with some trepidation Tim acknowledged that Gareth was ignoring the issue. He almost let it go, only, there was also the thing with Joann and Gareth and his unnaturally big eyes in the kitchen so sure that he didn't deserve Tim's 'punishment'.

"I don't actually think you're a prat." Tim said, although it was maybe still a little bit of a lie. Mostly, though, he was surprised to find it was true.

Gareth looked upset, if anything.

"Okay." He said shortly, and turned.

"You don't believe me." Tim scoffed.

At that Gareth turned back.

"You don't have to lie." He said softly, looking at their shoes, "I'm fine with it. I knew what this was."

Tim's not so sure he likes the assumption.

"And just what is that?" he asks challengingly.

It makes Gareth shrink back before looking at him with pleading eyes.

"Can we just go to bed? It's been such a good night."

Although Tim doesn't know how it's been such a good night, with all that's happened.

"No. I don't think we can." He says instead, and crosses his arm. Waits like an angry school marm.

Gareth caves, shoulders slumping.

"Do you like to hear me say it? Is that it?" He pales, "I knew you were a bit sadistic but...fine."

Tim feels concerned, and that's new too.

" _Gareth_ " he prompts.

"Obviously, you'll move on." Gareth looks everywhere but at him, "I'm not...I know you think little of me. That I'm not up to your...standards. That you're just...passing time. "

The words seem to be drawn from him with some difficulty.

Two rosy spots burn on his cheeks, and he seems to gather himself as he puffs his chest out.

"I'm just passing time too." Is what Gareth says, so transparently a lie.

Tim is...for a moment he can't respond, with how moved he is.

"I didn't know you felt like that."

Because Tim had always assumed that Gareth was oblivious to the inequality he believed to be between them, even before they'd gotten familiar. He'd assumed Gareth blind and naive, to which he was in some matters certainly.

While Tim had been making up his mind - and it pains him to think - Gareth had been watching and had known. Had accepted him anyway while waiting simultaneously to be spurned or turned out.

Gareth shrugs.

"I..I'm not exactly...a catch." He says quietly into the air between them.

The admission is unlike him. It's unlike him to admit his weaknesses even though everyone can easily read them on him. It's a sign of affection, of love - certainly not of trust.

He doesn't trust Tim not to hurt him.

"So you don't have to lie, I already know that." Gareth finishes, finally looks him in the eye.

" _Gareth_ -" Tim says in a breathless sigh.

"Look if you don't want to that's _fine_." Gareth says in a tone that implies that it is not _fine_.

"I want to." Tim says, rising to the bait. Although he hadn't meant to.

Gareth looks good to go then, like the revelations of the night don't bother him but Tim feels something sick twisting in his gut.

He doesn't quite know how to approach it, how to refute it. Especially without admitting that he'd half been thinking what Gareth has expressed at their beginning.

"Okay I'll meet you in the bedroom." Gareth says breathlessly, that way he gets when he's aroused.

"Gareth." Tim says solidly, reaching out to stop him with a hand.

"Y-yes?" Gareth asks unsurely.

"You're mine." Tim impresses. He doesn't know how to say it without coming across as an abusive boyfriend, "You're mine and no one else's. Do you understand?"

"What?" Gareth asks dumbly.

"Do you want that?" Tim asks.

He sees Gareth weighing it - sees his suspicion as if Tim is trying to trap him and make him more pathetic when he leaves him.

Only Tim isn't planning on leaving him. Ever, really.

"Do you want that?" Tim repeats.

" _Yes_." Gareth squeaks.

"Okay then. I'm yours."

Tim hopes that Gareth understands what he means.

"Are you sure?" Gareth asks, trying to dampen the hope on his face, "This isn't a trick?"

"No Gareth. And I'm sorry about the punishment. I was wrong and I've not been...fair to you. I'm something of a narcissist, and controlling. If you can handle that..."

Because Tim doubts he's ever going to think Gareth is his equal. But he isn't - it shocks him - but he isn't looking for anyone other than Gareth.

"Well, I - I quite like that about you." Gareth says, which is also shocking in and of itself, "I like not having to worry about...making mistakes. But also, I...I love you."

And maybe Gareth isn't his equal, maybe he's his better. Goodness knows Tim has been too self involved to get his head out of his arse. To recognize what is right in front of him.

Gareth is too generous with the liberties he's allowed Tim. Is a prat, maybe. But so is Tim, in his ways. They improve each other, each softening the other's faults.

"I love you too Gareth." Tim says.

A smile cracks Gareth's face and he immediately tries to hide it.

Tim goes to him then and feels it against his lips for himself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
